Alarm clocks have heretofore been provided with various types of deactivation mechanisms and devices for enabling a user to shut off the alarm after it has become activated. In the case of mechanical alarm clocks, manually operated stop devices have been employed. With electrically operated clocks, switch devices or various types of combined mechanical and electrical alarm-deactivation means have been employed. In practically all of the previously employed alarm-deactivation devices, the user is required to operate only one pushbutton switch to deactivate the alarm. This turns out to be a serious disadvantage, since the alarm can be easily deactivated before the user is fully awake, and thus there is a great tempation to go back to sleep, since it takes some time for an awakened person's brain to reach a fully functioning state.
Therefore, a large percentage of prior clock alarm systems fail in their underlying purpose in that individuals learn to defeat these systems without being fully awake, and become accustomed to routinely going back to sleep after turning off the alarm. For this reason there is a definite need for an alarm deactivation system requiring a non-routine behavior pattern which ensures that the user becomes fully awake by the time the alarm is completely deactivated. There is also a need for making the needed time effort required to achieve deactivation adjustable in accordance with the particular waking characteristics of the individual.